Category Archives: Indian Culture-Bharat Darshan

Yes indeed, Life is Complicated. The complexities of Life involve the ability to process information and converting the mental process into actions performed by man. I am recommending the Fluid Concept of Mind or Mental Fluidity to Set Your Mind Free.

The Mental Fluidity helps in the communication of thoughts and other mental activities to perform actions such as Speech, Reading, Writing, in Arts, Music and all other actions where the brain and body have to work together. In the Indian tradition, the concept of mental fluidity is emphasized to prevent the problems of mental Burnout, mental inertia, mental lethargy, and as a practical tool to efficiently assimilate the information acquired by the Learning Process.

Set Your Mind Free – Let The River Sarasvati Flow:

Set Your Mind Free:

Richard Lovelace, a romantic poet was confined within the walls of Gate House, a prison in Westminster, London. From the prison, in 1642 he wrote the poem, “To Althea, from Prison.” The poem has the following famous lines :     

Stone walls do not a prison make,     

Nor iron bars a cage;     

Minds innocent and quiet take     

That for a hermitage;     

If I have freedom in my love     

And in my soul am free,     

Angels alone, that soar above,     

Enjoy such liberty.     

Those who had confined him could not stop him from exercising his ability to think and dream. No one can imprison or enslave the human mind. A human being essentially seeks to exist in a free state and when imprisoned, the man can still set his mind free to think and dream. A mind that is free, expresses its freedom in speech, in writing, in songs and music. Speech in all of its forms conveys the ability of a man to communicate his thoughts. Fluent and coherent speech requires the formulations of propositions, which are translated into conventional symbols, earlier acquired and readily accessible, which then reach external expression by means of an efficient vocalizing apparatus. The sequences involved in efficient speech production could be interrupted at various levels to produce different types of speech defects.     

Disturbances of Speech:

Since speech is an attribute of a free mind, it is important to understand the problems of disturbances of speech:     

1. Intellectual impairment: Speech is deranged as a result of a deficit of intellectual function which prevents organization of meaningful propositions. A person who is intoxicated cannot speak well. There are several medical conditions associated with cognitive impairment, and the level of consciousness is impacted. Apart from these problems, a person, who is uneducated or any person who is unwilling to learn, cannot deliver a good speech. In the Sanskrit language such ignorant persons are identified as Murkh or Moron.    

2. Dysarthria and Dysphonia: Precise enunciation of words with good volume requires normal function and co-ordination of lips, tongue, palate, and the vocal apparatus called larynx. Several medical conditions could cause a defect in motor output involved in speaking and contribute to slurring  and distortion of speech.     

3. Aphasia: These are speech difficulties or absence of speech where the person has no motor disorder and the articulatory system is intact. Three major varieties of aphasia are described.

a. Broca’s, motor/expressive/Non-fluent aphasia: Broca’s area of brain produces verbs, builds sentences and predicts what people are going to say. Problems in this area  makes the person’s speech non-fluent as the person has profound word finding difficulties. The person speaks slowly and with great effort. The speech is described as ‘telegraphic’ because it has no grammatical structure and small connecting words (e.g., and, or, but), are missing. The person comprehends well. The person can formulate thoughts in appropriate words i.e. internal speech is preserved, but is unable to translate them into corresponding sounds.

b. Wernicke’s/Sensory/Receptive/fluent aphasia: Wernicke’s area of brain is involved in learning patterns corresponding to different types of auditory stimulation. It attaches meanings, images, and feelings to sounds and to individual words. Problems in this area would result in severe impairment in comprehension of language (both spoken and written). The person speaks fluently with ease and often in large amounts. However, the speech often goes in circles (circumlocutory) and contains incorrect word usages (paraphasias). The person fails to understand or carry out spoken instructions. Internal speech is disturbed and hence there is impairment of external speech. The person cannot understand what he hears.

c. Conductive aphasia:  The nerve fibers between Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas are involved in this type of problem. The person has trouble converting auditory input to verbal output. It is characterized by a marked inability to repeat words or phrases spoken to the person.

d. Dyslexia and Alexia:  Impairment of reading ability in individuals with normal intelligence either due to a developmental disorder or due to acquired brain lesions.     

Mental Fluidity as a Free Flowing River or Stream:

Speech and Mental Lethargy:

A normal healthy person with normal intelligence and abilities to speak, write, read, and sing may not automatically become a fluent speaker. Human mind needs to exist in a ‘fluid’ state to maintain and sustain a high state of alertness and activity.

Mental lethargy is described in the Sanskrit language as “Jadd.” The mental lethargy could be due to disease (‘Roga’), ignorance (Murkh), or could be due to a depressed condition or state of mental activity often named Mental Burnout.

This condition of mental weakness or diminished energy is characterized by intellectual sluggishness. The mind is dull, lazy or indifferent. Whatever term is used, mental inertia, lack of interest or energy or lassitude is an important issue , and the man’s speech lacks the fluency and the mind lacks the ‘fluidity’ that is needed for coordinating activities. Very often, man creates ‘mental barriers’, and erects ‘mental fences’ and impedes his own intellect from generating creative thoughts and in expressing such thoughts through creative forms of speech and music. There should be no obstacles to the flow of thoughts and to its physical expression.

In its natural state, a river flows without any impediments and that ‘fluid’ flowing state is important for effective human communications.     

Indian Traditions About Letters, Writing, Speech, Arts, and Music:

The man cannot realize his creative potential in the fields of letters, writing, speech, arts, and music if mind is responding slowly, a condition of mental inertia or lethargy described in the Indian tradition as ‘Buddhi Mandhyam’.

I would like to draw an analogy between the Fluidity that manifests as a Flowing Stream and the Fluidity of a Mind that lets a ‘thought wave’ to propagate. The Vedic River Sarasvati is personified as the patron Goddess of Speech (‘Vac or Vak’).

Mental Fluidity, Mental Clarity, and Mental Purity:

In the Indian tradition, the concept of Mental Fluidity is associated with the quality called Mental Purity and Goddess Sarasvati is endowed with a pure White and radiant personality which represents Her as the source of Pure Knowledge and Perfect Wisdom. Goddess Sarasvati enjoys a unique autonomous position. Apart from man, the entire Hindu pantheon of Gods pay obeisance to Her and seek Her protection to destroy and dissolve the problem of mental lethargy and mental inertia which impairs mental activity. The mind of man cannot be set free unless the mental barriers and mental fences are totally eradicated and the River Sarasvati is allowed to flow in its natural state without impediments.     

A hymn to Worship Goddess Sarasvati:

Ya kundendu tushara haara dhavala, Ya shubhra vastravrita
Ya veena vara danda mandithakara, Ya shwetha padmaasana
Ya brahmachyuthaha shankara prabrithibhi devai, sada poojitha
Samaam paatu Sarasvati Bhagavathi, nihshesha Jaddyapaha.  _/_

Meaning:

• Salutations to Devi Sarasvati, who is pure white like Jasmine and covered with white garments, with the coolness of Moon, brightness of snow and shine like the garland of Pearls.
• Whose hands are adorned with Veena and the boon giving staff and who is seated on white lotus.
• Who is always adored by Lord Brahma, Vishnu, Shankara and other Devas.
• O Goddess, please protect me and remove my mental inertia and ignorance completely.

Sarasvati is defined as “Saaram vaati iti Sarasvati”, She who flows towards the Absolute is Sarasvati. For river-like streaming and fluent speech the blessings of Sarasvati would help and the mind is set free as long as the waters flow.     

Set Your Mind Free to learn the concept of Whole Language

Yes indeed, Life is Complicated. The complexities of Life demand the understanding of the nature of human life and human existence by applying the concept of Whole Language.

Spirituality Science – Whole Linguistics – Whole Language:

SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – WHOLE LINGUISTICS – WHOLE LANGUAGE: LINGUISTICS IS DESCRIBED AS THE SCIENCE OF HUMAN LANGUAGE. I AM USING THE PHRASE WHOLE LINGUISTICS TO DESCRIBE THREE ENTITIES; 1. LANGUAGE USER, 2. LANGUAGE INTERPRETER, AND 3. LANGUAGE CREATOR.

Language is how human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, communicate. Language is the peculiar possession of human beings. Human Speech (spoken and written) is the criteria by which we can easily recognize the difference that exists between man and other species. In this article, I inform my readers about the requirement to develop concepts that I name as “Whole Linguistics” and “Whole Language” to understand nature of Human Life and Human Existence.

SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – WHOLE LINGUISTICS – WHOLE LANGUAGE: LANGUAGE IS DEFINED AS A SYSTEM OF VOCAL SOUNDS AND COMBINATION OF SUCH SOUNDS TO WHICH MEANING IS ATTRIBUTED, USED FOR THE EXPRESSION OR COMMUNICATION OF THOUGHTS AND FOR SHARING INFORMATION. TO EXPLAIN AND ACCOUNT FOR HUMAN LIFE AND HUMAN EXISTENCE THERE IS NEED FOR “WHOLE LINGUISTICS”, AND “WHOLE LANGUAGE.”

I define “Whole Language” as the particular form or manner of selecting and combining words characteristic of a “Whole Man”, “Whole Person”, or “Whole Dude.” It is a style of expression in words to explain and account for Human Life and Human Existence without depending upon the ability to attach meanings to the words and languages man uses. The structure and properties of human language do not formulate the basis for man’s biological existence.

Linguistics which is described as the Science of Language includes phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Linguistics is sometimes subdivided into Descriptive, Historical, Comparative, Theoretical, Applied, and Geographical Linguistics. Since Linguistics is concerned with Language it must include the study of vocalized human speech, human writing, human reading, and human sensory perception of sounds and their interpretation. In proposing to use the phrase “Whole Linguistics”, I am visualizing the existence of three entities, 1. Language User, 2. Language Interpreter, and 3. Language Creator. It introduces a concept about the Creative Beginning of man and his Language.

SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – WHOLE LINGUISTICS – WHOLE LANGUAGE: BERTRAND RUSSELL DEVELOPED THE SYSTEM OF LANGUAGE ANALYSIS CALLED “LOGICAL ATOMISM.” IN HIS OPINION, LANGUAGE CAN BE ANALYZED IN TERMS OF AGGREGATES OF FIXED, IRREDUCIBLE UNITS OR ELEMENTS. HOW ABOUT LIFE AND EXISTENCE?

Dr. Bertrand Russell developed the system of Language Analysis called “Logical Atomism.” In his opinion, Language can be analyzed in terms of fixed, irreducible units or elements or an “Atom” of Language. Russell thinks that there can be a perfect one-to-one correspondence existing between an “Atom of Language” (an “Atomic Proposition”) and an “Atomic Fact.” An Atomic Proposition is a term that asserts that a certain thing has a certain quality. An Atomic Fact is the simplest kind of fact and consists in possession of a certain quality by some specific individual thing. According to Russell, for Language to mirror reality it can be proposed that the world is composed of facts that are utterly simple and comprehensible. He uses ‘Atomic Propositions’ as the building blocks from which logical connectives, the more complex “Molecular Propositions” are constructed.

I encounter several problems if I try to apply Russell’s Theory of “Logical Atomism” to interpret nature of Human Life and Human Existence. What is that ‘Atomic Proposition’, or ‘Atomic Fact’ that can describe man as a specific, individual thing? How is the Identity of Human Individual is established in multicellular human organism? Who is that specific, individual thing for whose benefit all the trillions of individual, living cells exist? If man is known as a specific, individual thing, how do these trillions of individual cells recognize his Identity?

Russell demands that concepts must be clarified in both every day and scientific Language. In his view, all genuine knowledge about man and nature can be expressed in a single Language common to all the Sciences. Semantics is the branch of Linguistics concerned with the nature, the structure the development and changes of the meanings of speech forms or with contextual meaning. I want to use the phrase “Whole Semantics” to describe the relationship between Language User who uses words, phrases, concepts, feelings, (etc., associated with them) and the mind of Language Interpreter whom I identify as “Whole Person”, “Whole Man”, or “Whole Dude.” By combining words, by coining new phrases, I can describe an original term whose meaning, or explanation could be missing if the original term is used as such. For example, by using the phrase ‘Whole Person, ‘Whole Man’, or ‘Whole Dude’ I will be able to account for all the dimensions of Human Life, and Human Existence. The term ‘man’ when used alone could be interpreted by each reader in slightly differing manners based upon their individual mental makeups. By using the phrase such as ‘Whole Man’, I am alerting the reader to interpret its meaning considering the various possibilities, the various dimensions to life such as a physical dimension (age, sex, color, race, ethnicity, and country of origin), a mental dimension described by his thoughts and feelings, a social dimension described by the language he uses, his religion, his social position, education, occupation, and  his culture, his moral dimension that includes his perceptions about right and wrong, his spiritual dimension that may account for his existence as a created being, one of its own kind, and distinctive that makes him an Individual with Individuality and his rational dimension that describes the reasoning process used to verify truth of any given statement.

Whole Vocabulary – Whole Linguistics – Whole Language:

Language represents a very complex series of events. These events take place in many planes of experience; 1. Physical (the sound waves), 2. Chemical (the body Chemistry), 3. Physiological (the movements of nerve impulses and of the various muscles and structures involved in articulation or generation of sounds), 4. Psychological (the reaction to stimuli), 5. General Cultural (situation of the speaker in respect to the cultural system of his society), 6. Linguistic (the Language being spoken), and 7. Semantic (its meaning). Vocabulary is a list of words and often phrases, abbreviations, inflectional forms, etc., arranged in alphabetical order and defined as in a dictionary or glossary. I use the phrase “Whole Vocabulary” to explain that the human body does not use Human Language to perform its functions at the level of individual cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems that comprise the human body. Human organism interacts with its constituent cells, tissues, and organs all the time using chemical molecules to send signals without any need for any known human language.

SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – WHOLE LINGUISTICS – WHOLE LANGUAGE: THIS DIAGRAM OR MODEL OF SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION PATHWAY IN MECHANOTRANSDUCTION EXPLAINS MECHANOSENSITIVITY IN CELLS AND TISSUES. SOME OF THE ABBREVIATIONS ARE, EP2-PROSTAGLANDIN RECEPTOR 2, 7TR-SEVEN TRANSMEMBRANE HELIX RECEPTOR, G GTP-BINDING PROTEIN, cAMP-CYCLIC ADENOSINE MONOPHOSPHATE, PKA-PROTEIN KINASE A, PKC-PROTEIN KINASE C, CRE-cAMP RESPONSE ELEMENT. MAN HAS TO DEVISE NUMEROUS TERMS TO SPEAK ABOUT LIVING FUNCTIONS WHICH TAKE PLACE WITH NO CONCERN FOR USING VOCABULARY.

SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – WHOLE LINGUISTICS – WHOLE LANGUAGE: AMONG ALL LIFE FORMS, THERE ARE SIMILAR SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION PATHWAYS THAT ARE USED TO COMMUNICATE INSTRUCTIONS TO CELLS USING NERVE IMPULSES OR CHEMICAL MOLECULES CALLED HORMONES. THE ABILITY OF THE CELL TO UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE AND RESPOND WITH A PROPER SEQUENCE OF ACTIONS WHICH OFTEN INVOLVES A ‘SECOND MESSENGER’ IS THE BASIS FOR LIFE AND EXISTENCE. GLUTAMATE SIGNALING THAT IS INVOLVED IN SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION PATHWAYS THAT STIMULATE A CELL TO DIVIDE OR PROLIFERATE CANNOT BE AFFECTED BY VERBAL COMMANDS.

SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – WHOLE LINGUISTICS – WHOLE LANGUAGE: COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE HUMAN ORGANISM INVOLVES THE SEQUENTIAL ACTIONS AND INTERACTIONS THAT INVOLVE A VARIETY OF CHEMICAL MOLECULES. MAN HAS NO ABILITY TO SPEAK TO THE CELL USING HUMAN LANGUAGE AND INSTRUCT IT TO PERFORM TASKS LIKE CELL DIVISION.

To understand the Language that human body uses to perform its myriad living functions, we need to learn about chemical molecules that act as major communicators. The Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) is a major communicator molecule in cells. cAMP controls many important functions in the cell including the ability of the cell to generate electrical impulses. It is often called “Second Messenger” and it activates Inactive Protein Kinase, and the Active Protein Kinase then triggers responses of target cells or structures by activating enzymes, stimulating cellular secretion, opening ion channels, and etc., Cyclic Monophosphate mononucleotide of Adenosine or cAMP is formed from Adenosine Triphosphate or ATP by the catalytic action of the enzyme Adenylyl Cyclase. cAMP is responsible for the intracellular mediation of hormonal effects on various cellular processes such as lipid metabolism, membrane transport and cell proliferation.

SPIRITUALITY SCIENCE – WHOLE LINGUISTICS – WHOLE LANGUAGE: IN THE ENTIRE HUMAN VOCABULARY THERE IS NO WORD OR PHRASE THAT MAN CAN USE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CELLS OF HIS OWN BODY.

I am stating that I cannot issue verbal commands to my human body and direct it to perform according to my choice or desires. In the entire human Vocabulary there is no word or phrase that man can use to communicate with the cells, tissues, and organs of his own body. Language can be used to describe living functions such as ‘Metabolism’ but Life and Existence is not about the ability to attach meanings to words or the ability called Language Arts. Russell held the view that it is possible to infer something about the world from the Language in which it is correctly described. He further directed that Language must be used to state its minimum requirements and avoid the use of descriptive phrases which may postulate the existence of objects. Russell finds it very easy and convenient to formulate his opinion and conclude that a ‘Proposition’ is a picture of the facts that it asserts and must have in a sense the same structure. He stresses the importance of similarity of structure as a criterion in inferring causal relationships. He endorses the application of rationality to all aspects of thought and Language.

Humans have the distinctive ability to use Language and yet there is no similarity of structure in the Language used for human communication and the structure of chemical molecules involved in communications between cells, tissues, and organs of his own body. To account for Human Life and Human Existence, I need to overcome the linguistic barriers placed by Russell.

To establish the existence of man as a ‘speaking animal’, I use the concept of ‘Whole Devotion’; a valid method of inquiry guided and controlled by ‘Love’ which acts as the Fundamental Force operating Human Life and Human Existence. ‘Whole Love’ as a phrase accounts for Subjective and Objective Reality called Existence that man experiences in his daily living condition. In times of crisis, when man faces challenges to his life and existence, man may not be able to make use of his knowledge and wisdom to effectively communicate with his body to alter or correct the problems of his structural and functional organization. However, human Language can be used for a system of communication called Prayer. The hope that the communication called Prayer will be received gives man the chance to survive tough times with a sense of peace and tranquility. The purpose of human language is to provide comfort and reassurance when language becomes ineffective in solving human problems.

Spirituality Science – The Origin of Man:

The problem of the origin of man is connected with the problem of the origin of Language. The Theory of Evolution proposed by Charles Darwin believes that man has descended from other forms of life such as apes. It must be noted that Language is one of the principal characteristics of the specifically human world. Human Speech, both spoken and written is the criteria by which we can recognize the difference that exists between man and other species. Language is the means by which human beings communicate as members of a social group and as participants in its Culture. Language is the peculiar possession of human beings. No other species has conventionalized its cries and utterances to constitute a systematic symbolism in the same manner  as human Language. Man may be described as the talking and writing animal.

Language represents a complex series of events. These events are on many planes of experience; 1. Physical, that involves the ability to generate sound waves, the propagation of sound waves, and the reception of sound waves or the perception called hearing. The physical capacity for the use of Language requires the physical capacity called ‘Precision Grip’ which gives the ability to write using a writing instrument, 2. Chemical, that involves body chemistry and its ability to generate the energy needed for performing the functions associated with the use of Language, 3. Physiological, that involves the transmission of nerve impulses and the movements of muscles used in speech or writing, 4. Psychological, that involves a generation of thoughts and feelings and the reaction to such stimuli, 5. Cultural, that pertains to the situation of the speaker or writer in respect to the cultural system of his society, 6. Linguistic, that involves the specific Language that is spoken or used for communication, and 7. Semantics, that involves the ability to convey and grasp the meaning of the Language used in communication.

The Tower of Babel – The Confusion of Tongues:

If human beings constitute members of a single species which share certain common characteristics of both anatomical structures and physiological functions, Language must be the same for all the members of this given species. Like human society, human Language seem to be partly natural, and partly conventional. All conventional languages have certain features of structure which indicate their natural basis in the physical and mental constitution of man. All conventional languages have a common, natural basis, and the confusion of tongues is explained in Bible. The Old Testament Book of Genesis, Chapter 11, verses 1-9 tells us that “The whole earth was of one language and one speech,” but at the time when men began to build ” a tower whose top may reach into heaven,” the LORD said, ” Behold, the people is one, and they all have one language; and this they begin to do and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” At the Tower of Babel (“The Gate of God”), the structure that was built-in the plain of Shinar, by the hand of God every man was stricken for his rebellion, with an oblivion of his former language. God frustrated human plans by confusing their Language and scattered them over all the earth.

The Art and the History of Writing:

Writing is the visible recording of Language that is peculiar to the human species. Writing is not the mere transmission of ideas for it uses a medium that can be used as a historical record. The first known writing dates from 6,000 B.C. Ancient languages like Sanskrit developed alphabet where one letter symbolizes one phoneme or a significant sound. The major non-alphabetic forms of writing are Chinese, in which each character represents a word or concept, and Japanese, in which each character represents a syllable. It appears that writing arose independently in different parts of the world.

Seven original systems of writing that can be recognized are, 1. Sumerian in Mesopotamia, 3100 B.C. to A.D. 75, 2. Proto-Elamite in Elam, 3000 B.C. to A.D. 400, 3. Egyptian in Egypt, 3000 B.C. to A.D. 400, 4. Proto-Indic in the Indus Valley around 2200 B.C., 5. Cretan in Crete and Greece, 2000 to 1200 B.C., 6. Chinese in China, 1300 B.C. to the present, and 7. Hittite in Anatolia and Syria, 1500 B.C. to 700 B.C. The original, ideographic, writing system of Maya tribes of Central America developed independently  in their Pre-Classic Period (1500 B.C. ? – A.D. 300).

Writing serves the purpose of communication and the written shapes become signs for elements of linguistic value. However, it must be noted that painting pictures on the walls of caves or on the rocks may not fall in the category of writing. Aristotle says that man is the only animal whom nature “has endowed with the gift of speech.” The origin of human Speech cannot be explained in evolutionary terms. Human Speech is a creative phenomenon and it uses a creative mechanism to generate variations while the humans are endowed with the same kind of gift. Human Language is the instrument by which the thoughts of men’s minds are conveyed from one to another. Language expresses thought, diverse languages are different mediums of the same thing. Aristotle declares, “All men may not have the same speech sounds, but the mental experiences which these directly symbolize, are the same for all.” The human community when conceived in terms of the communication of thought is not limited by political boundaries. Man overcomes the barriers set up by a diversity of tongues by using a tool called translation.

Human Language has the Spiritual attribute called Immortality for it includes the thoughts shared by the living and the dead and extends to those as yet unborn. Human Civilization can be described as the Civilization of Dialogue and the conversation continues from one generation to the next as if man is not a perishable creature. Plato observes, “thought and speech are the same, with this exception, that which is called thought is the unuttered conversation of the Soul with itself.”